NEWS DESK: The CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers were provided with food assistance for the second time at Rangamati Auto-rickshaw Workers Union and Drivers Welfare Association Office at Reserve Bazar in the town on Sunday morning.

Currently, the entire country has been going through amidst severe crisis since the outbreak of novel coronavirus. In this deadlock situation, all auto-rickshaw drivers have become jobless and have been passing their days amid great hardships along with their family members in the district town.

Considering the matter from the humanitarian ground, the leaders of the Rangamati Auto-rickshaw Workers Union and Drivers Welfare Association took the initiative to provide food assistance to the drivers as part of tackling the crisis.

Thereafter, district administration allocated two and a half metric tons (MTs) of food grain (rice) and cash Tk 25 thousand to the organisation after seeking cooperation for assistance.

A total of 1400 driver were provided with rice during the programme. Each driver got 25 kilograms of rice.

“Some 30 metric tons of rice is needed to cover up all 1400 members in our organisation. Only the district administration provided rice and cash grant. So, we had to managed the lion amount from our own fund in our organisation,” said Shahiduzzaman Mohsin Roman, chairman of Rangamati sadar upazila parishad and general secretary of Rangamati Auto-rickshaw Workers Union and Drivers Welfare Association.

We will try to continue this initiative for the welfare of our drivers and workers, added Roman.

Leaders from our organisation sought food and cash grant aid from the authorities of Rangamati Hill District Council and Rangamati Municipality. But they did not respond, said a leader on condition of anonymity.

Local lawmaker Dipankar TalukderMP was the chief guest in the rice distribution programme.

Shahiduzzaman Mohsin Roman, chairman of Rangamati sadar upazila parishad and general secretary of Rangamati Auto-rickshaw Workers Union and Drivers Welfare Association, its president Poresh Majumder, journalist Shakhawat Hossain Rubel, its vice-president, Kabir Ahmed, organising secretary, Abdul Halim.

Earlier, on March 25, some 25 kg of rice and 5 litre edible oil was provided to each member of this organisation.